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The white wedding dress is a matrimonial classic, popularised by Queen Victoria, who wore a white lace dress at her wedding to Prince Albert in 1840. The white wedding style was given another significant boost in 1981, when Princess Diana wed Charles, Prince of Wales, wearing an elaborate ivory taffeta dress. However, the tradition of wearing white is not unique to the Western world, and white wedding dresses have been worn in other cultures for thousands of years.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date | The tradition of wearing white wedding dresses is commonly credited to Queen Victoria, who wore a white court dress at her wedding to Prince Albert in 1840. |
| Colour | The dress was made from Spitalfields cream silk-satin with a flounce of Honiton lace at the neck and sleeves. |
| Symbolism | The colour white was originally associated with purity, symbolizing a woman's chastity and her transition to a married Roman matron. It later became a symbol of status and wealth, as white dresses were hard to maintain and could be ruined by any sort of work or spill. |
| Popularity | White wedding dresses gained popularity in the early 20th century, with the rise of mass media, fashion magazines, and Hollywood films. They became even more common in the 1930s and 1940s due to the development of synthetic fabrics and the surge of weddings as American soldiers returned from World War II. |
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What You'll Learn
- Queen Victoria popularised the white wedding dress in 1840
- White wedding dresses were a symbol of wealth and status
- White wedding dresses were impractical before modern laundering
- White wedding dresses were popularised by mass media and Hollywood
- White wedding dresses were not universal until the mid-20th century
Queen Victoria popularised the white wedding dress in 1840
The white wedding dress is commonly associated with Queen Victoria, who wore a white gown when she married Prince Albert in 1840. Victoria's choice of a white court dress, made from Spitalfields silk and Honiton lace, broke with the royal custom of wearing silver or gold, and set a new trend in bridal fashion.
Before Queen Victoria, wedding dresses came in a variety of colours, with red being a particularly popular choice in Western Europe. Royal brides typically wore gowns embroidered with silver and gold thread, which were colours associated with royalty. Debutantes, however, had long been required to wear white court dresses for their first presentation at court, and Queen Mary of Scots had worn a white wedding gown in 1559 when she married her first husband, Francis Dauphin of France.
Queen Victoria was a fashion-loving monarch who set trends throughout her reign, including the popularisation of black for mourning. Her choice of a white wedding dress was likely influenced by several factors. One theory suggests that Victoria chose white because it was the perfect colour to highlight the delicate English lace on her gown. Lace makers in England were supported by this choice, as Victoria was a strong advocate of domestic industries. Another theory speculates that Victoria was aware of the public perception of white as a symbol of innocence, purity, and romance, and she wanted to be seen as Prince Albert's wife rather than a queen.
As accounts of Victoria's wedding spread across Europe and the Atlantic, fashionable people, including other European leaders, followed her lead. The white wedding dress became a popular symbol of status and wealth, as laundering clothing in the 19th century was challenging, and white dresses were difficult to maintain. Etiquette books further promoted the practice, and by the end of the 19th century, the white dress was the garment of choice for elite brides. However, it took several more decades for white wedding dresses to become fully democratised among middle-class brides in Europe and the United States, as societal prosperity and advancements in clothing production made them more accessible.
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White wedding dresses were a symbol of wealth and status
The white wedding dress is commonly associated with Queen Victoria, who wore a white gown when she married Prince Albert in 1840. However, white wedding dresses were not exclusive to Queen Victoria, as Mary, Queen of Scots, wore a white wedding dress in 1559, and Philippa of England wore a white silk tunic and cloak in 1406.
White wedding dresses became a symbol of wealth and status, as laundering clothing in the 19th century was challenging, and white dresses were hard to maintain. White dresses were favoured primarily as a way to show that the bride's family was wealthy enough to allow the bride to choose an elaborate dress that could be easily ruined. White dresses also looked good in early black-and-white or sepia-toned photography.
Before Queen Victoria, royal brides wore a variety of colours, with red being a popular choice in Western Europe. Brides from wealthy families often wore rich colours and exclusive fabrics, such as bold colours and layers of furs, velvet, and silk. The attire of the bride reflected her family's wealth and social standing.
While Queen Victoria is credited with popularising the white wedding dress, it was in the mid-20th century that white became the standard choice for brides. The rise of mass media, fashion magazines, and Hollywood films further cemented the association between white dresses and weddings.
In the early 1900s, some brides wore white cotton dresses trimmed with lace, which could also be worn as a summer day dress. The wear-once, special-style white wedding dress was first advertised in 1927 and quickly became the norm. With the development of synthetic fabrics in the 1930s and 1940s, it became more affordable for women of all classes to wear white wedding gowns.
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White wedding dresses were impractical before modern laundering
The white wedding dress is commonly associated with Queen Victoria, who wore a white lace gown when she married Prince Albert in 1840. The fashion-loving Queen chose a non-traditional dress, which was considered unusual at the time as white was rarely chosen for weddings due to its impracticality.
Before the advent of modern laundering techniques in the later part of the 20th century, white dresses were difficult to maintain and clean. They were prone to stains and could be easily ruined by any sort of work or spill. As such, only the wealthy could afford to wear a white gown, as it would likely be worn only once. White dresses thus became a symbol of conspicuous consumption and a way for the bride's family to display their wealth and social status. They were also associated with purity and innocence, further adding to their appeal.
The popularity of Queen Victoria's wedding dress spread across Europe and beyond, with fashionable elites embracing the new trend. However, it took several decades for white wedding dresses to become common among middle-class brides in Europe and the US. Prior to World War II, many women simply wore their nicest dress on their wedding day, regardless of the colour. It was only with increased prosperity and the development of cheaper synthetic fabrics in the post-war era that the single-use white wedding dress became a widespread phenomenon.
The white wedding tradition received another significant boost in 1981 when Lady Diana Spencer married Charles, Prince of Wales, in a lavish ivory taffeta gown with an 8-metre train. The influence of celebrity weddings and Hollywood portrayals of marriages further cemented the notion that brides should wear white. Today, while white remains the classic choice, modern brides are increasingly embracing non-traditional colours and styles, reflecting a bold evolution in bridal fashion.
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White wedding dresses were popularised by mass media and Hollywood
The white wedding dress is commonly associated with Queen Victoria, who wore a white court dress when she married Prince Albert in 1840. However, the mass media and Hollywood have also played a significant role in popularising the white wedding dress.
In the early 20th century, etiquette books began to promote the idea of the white wedding dress as a tradition. This new symbolism of the colour white—as a representation of purity and innocence—was quickly adopted by elite brides on both sides of the Atlantic by the end of the 19th century. However, it was the mass media and Hollywood that helped to spread this tradition to the middle classes in the mid-20th century.
The first edition of Bride's Magazine, published in 1934, and its rival Modern Bride, first published in 1949, helped to spread the idea of the white wedding dress as a normative form. Additionally, Hollywood movies, particularly those released immediately after World War II, played a significant role in cementing the notion that marriage demanded a white dress. For example, in 1956, film footage and photographs of Grace Kelly's famous white wedding gown quickly spread across the globe.
The royal wedding of Diana Spencer and Charles, Prince of Wales, in 1981, further boosted the popularity of white wedding dresses. The wedding was watched by 750 million people, and Lady Diana Spencer wore an ivory silk taffeta gown with a 25-foot train. This was quickly followed by a trend for long-sleeve lace ball gowns, similar to the one Princess Kate wore when she married Prince William in 2011.
Today, the white wedding dress is a matrimonial classic and the ultimate fashion show finale, with brides often choosing to wear a style that makes them feel like their most beautiful selves.
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White wedding dresses were not universal until the mid-20th century
The white wedding dress is often associated with Queen Victoria, who wore a white court dress when she married Prince Albert in 1840. Debutantes had long been required to wear white court dresses and long white gloves for their first presentation at court. However, royal brides before Victoria did not typically wear white, opting instead for colourful gowns embroidered with silver and gold thread. Red was a particularly popular colour in Western Europe.
Although Queen Victoria is credited with popularising the white wedding dress, it was not until the mid-20th century that white became the standard choice for brides. In the 19th century, laundering clothing was challenging, and white dresses were hard to maintain. Wedding gowns were often worn several times, and even Queen Victoria restyled her wedding dress for later use. As white dresses gained popularity, they also took on new symbolism, coming to signify purity and innocence in addition to wealth.
Before the mid-20th century, wedding dresses were often worn in a variety of colours, including blue, yellow, and practical colours like black, brown, or grey. Brides typically wore their best dress or purchased a new gown that could be worn again. In the early 20th century, wedding dresses followed the fashion trends of the time, incorporating decorative frills and lace. It was only in the mid-20th century that white became the dominant colour for Western wedding dresses, with mass media, fashion magazines, and Hollywood films further cementing the association between white dresses and weddings.
The postwar prosperity and culture of the mid-20th century also contributed to the rise of the white wedding dress. With increased prosperity, the tradition of wearing the dress only once became more feasible. The development of synthetic fabrics in the 1930s and 1940s also made it more affordable for women of all classes to own a white wedding gown. Additionally, the surge of weddings as American soldiers returned from World War II and the limitations on fabric usage during the war may have influenced the shift towards white wedding dresses.
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Frequently asked questions
Wedding dresses started being white in the mid-19th century, when Queen Victoria wore a white gown to her wedding to Prince Albert in 1840.
Queen Victoria wore white to her wedding as a fashion statement. Before her, royal brides wore a variety of colours, with red being one of the most popular choices.
No, the tradition of wearing white wedding dresses predates Queen Victoria by generations. In fact, Philippa of England wore a white silk tunic and cloak when she married Eric of Pomerania in 1406. However, Queen Victoria is credited with popularising the white wedding dress, as accounts and illustrations of her wedding were widely published, and many brides opted for white in accordance with the Queen's choice.
